Height-adjustable pole pieces and pickup-height screws enable adjustment of an instrument’s tonal balance, increasing or decreasing the volume of each string to personal preference. Although these adjustments are factory preset on new Gretsch instruments for optimal overall performance, players who wish to make their own pickup and pole piece height adjustments can do so using a small screwdriver.

When raising pickups or their individual pole pieces, it’s important to leave enough clearance beneath strings to let them vibrate freely. Do not let any part of the pickup touch the string.